Campaign of the Month:
February 2017

God-Touched

The Shen

The Shen

The Celestial Bureaucracy is by far the largest pantheon, sprawling across the lands of China and the far East since time immemorial; its countless deities all hold sway over their own tiny portion of land or concept, making up a truly stupendous whole when they all (or even some) choose to manifest in one place. While their first concern is and always has been the Middle Kingdom and its inhabitants, the most powerful among them recognize the dire situation at hand with the escape of the Titans, and their highly efficient and organized application of power is an important contribution to the war effort. Stoic, intelligent, and mysterious to those who don’t know their ways intimately, the gods of the Bureaucracy (or Shen) remain an enigma to most other pantheons despite their regular participation in cooperative defense.

Virtues

Duty

Harmony

Intellect

Valor

No bureaucracy can function without the complete dedication and cooperation of its employees; the Shen know their place and the places of all others with an iron-hard certainty that leaves no room for waffling or blame-shifting. They always follow through on their duties to the bitter end, no matter what might be arrayed against them, and have no sympathy whatsoever for those who try to shirk their responsibilities.

As a great collective, each one with his or her own place in the grand scheme of things, the Shen understand the need for cooperation and balance as few others do. They strive not only to remain in harmony with one another – an absolute necessity, considering their numbers and areas of specific expertise – but also to cultivate the same in the world around them, believing that the greater the harmony of the universe as a whole, the more resistant it is to the whims of Fate and the depredations of bad luck.

Few pantheons possess such a vast array of specialists of such high caliber; the Bureaucracy prizes intelligence and expertise in every area, and those who don’t make the cut are mercilessly demoted. The more orderly and incisive the mind, the better the ability to fulfill one’s job – and fulfilling one’s position is, amongst the Shen, of paramount importance.

War is far from unknown amongst the Shen, who have fought as great generals and war leaders since the mistiest of bygone eras. Resolute and convinced that the best man should always win, they never turn their backs on a properly issued challenge, and have no tolerance for those who use underhanded tricks or misdirections instead of fighting with honor and valiance.